Youth Hostel Rules

Welcome to our world: The German Youth Hostel Association wishes you and all our guests a pleasant stay at our Youth Hostel, filled with great experiences!

Youth Hostels offer great opportunities to meet new people of every age group and from different cultural backgrounds. This also means that our guests have different habits, behaviours and needs. Keeping an open mind and being mutually respectful and tolerant are important values that have a special place in our hostels. We want all our guests to feel safe and relaxed – regardless of their sex or gender, their ethnicity, their religion or beliefs.

That is why Youth Hostels have house rules aimed at making sure all these different needs are met and everyone has an enjoyable stay. We kindly ask all our guests to observe these basic rules. Group leaders and teachers are responsible for their groups and their behaviour, and for making sure that everyone follows the Hostel Rules.

Arrival

Guests with reservations can arrange their arrival time individually with the hostel management. Promised beds will be reserved until 6 p.m. Should they not have been claimed by then, they may be given to other guests.

If you have not made a reservation in advance, you can inquire about available beds by telephone, e-mail or directly at the Youth Hostel.

To stay at or make use of any other services offered by a Youth Hostel, you need to be a member of the German Youth Hostel Association (DJH) or the national youth hostel association of another country. Non-members who are German residents can sign up for membership directly at the Youth Hostel; foreign guests without membership are required to obtain an 'International Guest Card', which serves as a 12-month personal membership.

For more information on membership, to go: https://www.jugendherberge.de/en/membership/.

Staying in a Youth Hostel

In the spirit of community, we kindly ask you to be considerate of your fellow guests at all times.

Our guests are accommodated in single, double or shared bedrooms, depending on availability at each Youth Hostel. Shared bedrooms are usually separated by gender. Guests travelling together can be accommodated together upon request, subject to availability of rooms.

We kindly ask you for a helping hand during your stay. This means, for example, keeping the facilities, rooms and equipment that you use in good order or clearing away your own dishes after a meal.

The Youth Hostels are committed to environmental protection and nature conservation. We therefore kindly request that guests collect waste in accordance with local regulations or avoid waste all together, and be economical with their energy and water consumption.

Preparing food is prohibited in the bedrooms. For insurance, health and fire protection reasons, the use of electrical devices for the preparation of hot meals or beverages is not allowed in Youth Hostels.

Rechargeable batteries for electric devices or electric bicycles may only be charged using the designated outlets.

The interior of Youth Hostels is a non-smoking area.

Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in Youth Hostels and may neither be brought onto or consumed on the premises. Heavily intoxicated guests may be expelled.

Animals are generally not allowed in Youth Hostels. In some Youth Hostels, however, dogs may be allowed if agreed with the management. Service dogs are allowed to stay in any Youth Hostel by arrangement with the hostel management.

Youth Hostels are generally open until at least 10 p.m. Please inquire locally for the opening hours and access modalities (front door key, access code) at your Youth Hostel.

Quiet time begins at 10 p.m. and ends at 7 a.m. Please be considerate of fellow guests so as not to disturb their sleep.

Departure

As a rule, bedrooms must be vacated before 10 a.m.

Exceptions may be made by arrangement with the hostel management.

 

Management rights

The hostel management or its authorised agent represent the organisation that operates the Youth Hostel, and may exercise management rights on its behalf. This includes banning individuals from the property for the violation of Youth Hostel rules.

Items of clothing, symbols and marks, propaganda materials or speech that clearly represent extremist, discriminating or dehumanising views are not condoned in Youth Hostels. Such an occurrence is not a matter of discretion for the management; it will instruct offenders to cease the violating behaviour and exercise its management rights. We expressly reserve the right to further prosecution under criminal law.

A ban from Youth Hostel premises and its reasons are stated verbally.

 

These Youth Hostel Rules were adopted by the General Assembly on 12th November 2022 in Berlin.